


Nightmares Suck!

by azbear



Series: black friday regression [8]
Category: Black Friday - Team StarKid
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Bathing/Washing, Bed-Wetting, CGRE - Caregiver/Age Regressor, F/M, Nightmares, Non-Sexual Age Play, Pacifiers, Parent Henry Hidgens, hidgens is ethan's uncle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:40:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24837046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azbear/pseuds/azbear
Summary: Ethan has a nightmare about how things could have gone differently after Black Friday and regresses hella young.
Relationships: Lex Foster/Ethan Green
Series: black friday regression [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1782334
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	Nightmares Suck!

**Author's Note:**

> it's 3:30 am and i hate myself

Two weeks passed since the hell-day that was Black Friday. Ethan, Lex, and Hannah were staying with Ethan’s uncle. Some other people stayed with them for a while too, but they had all gone home after two weeks when it seemed safe. Ethan wasn’t sure he ever wanted to leave. His uncle’s house was safe. He wasn’t sure he would let Lex or Hannah leave either.

Ethan had almost died. Mr. Houston showed up just in time. All he ended up with was a split lip and some bruises. Ethan knew he was very lucky. If Mr. Houston had just taken a few minutes longer to show up, he didn’t think he’d be here anymore. That could never happen.

Ethan and Lex have been fighting against their headspaces for almost two weeks straight. They both desperately needed to be little, but they didn’t want to regress with Mr. Houston and everyone they didn’t know in the same house. Ethan had finally gone into his headspace the day after everybody left, but it only lasted for about an hour. He was too scared to be little. What if those crazy people from the mall came back? He wouldn’t be able to protect anyone if he was little! Sure, his Uncle Henry had a few guns, but what if they weren’t enough?

Ethan curled up next to Lex in his bed. He made Lex sleep on the inside where he usually slept. He wanted her as far away from the door as possible. He’d like for Hannah to be there too so he could keep her safe as well, but at least his uncle had moved her to the room next to his so she was closer now.

“You’re safe now,” Lex whispered. “We all are.” She kissed Ethan’s forehead before going to sleep. Just like every night. That didn’t stop his nightmares. Or hers.

“Love you,” Ethan told her before falling into an uneasy sleep.

Ethan woke up, gasping and shaking. Tears streamed down his face.  _ God his head! Everything hurts! _ He didn’t realize until the door opened that he was screaming. Lex was trying to calm him down, but he couldn’t hear her. He started thrashing about in bed when his uncle tried to touch him.  _ I don’t want to be hurt anymore! Please! _ He couldn’t speak the words. He couldn’t beg them not to hurt him.

Hidgens ran out of his nephew’s room and returned with his keyboard. Music used to calm him down when he was very young. Hopefully it would still help. He played the first song he could think of: a song from the musical he’s been writing for over 30 years.

Hidgens played music for about 15 minutes before his nephew was finally calm.

Hidgens sat next to him on the bed and pulled him into a hug. Lex kept a hand on his thigh. Hannah sat at the edge of the bed and held onto his leg.

“What happened, kid?” He asked softly. “Did you have a nightmare?”

Ethan let his uncle pull him up and into his chest like a ragdoll. He was too tired to move and his head still hurt. He hummed sadly. He didn’t want to talk either.

“Would you like to talk about it?”

Ethan grunted to say no.

“Okay. You don’t have to–but if you change your mind you can come talk to me anytime, alright?” Ethan hummed. He looked longingly at his pacifier. He was too tired to even lift his arm and grab it. He didn’t even care that his uncle had never seen him with it before; he just wanted his pacifier and Alex and cuddles!

Ethan started crying again.

Fuck. He hasn’t been this little in a long time! He hates it.

Lex gasped. “Eth….”

Ethan was confused until he felt wetness underneath him. He whimpered and started wailing. He couldn’t do anything else right now. He’d had an accident! He never had one of those before!

“Shh,” Hidgens cooed, rubbing the boy’s back. “It’s okay, Ethan.”

“I’m going to go start him a bath,” Lex said, starting to stand. Ethan’s arm shot out and grabbed hers, begging her to stay with him. “Okay, okay. Can Hannah go start it for you?”

Ethan whimpered. He didn’t want Hannah to leave either! In his dream she had left and that’s when he–

“Just a few minutes,” Hannah promised him. Ethan sniffled and just leaned into his uncle.

“Ethan, who do you want to help you in the bath?” Hidgens asked. He knew his nephew was too young to bathe himself right now. He would need somebody to help him, but he’d let him decide who helped.

Ethan didn’t want to be alone. He wanted all of his family–his uncle and the Fosters–with him, but he didn’t think they’d all want to be around him. He didn’t think any of them wanted to be around him now. Lex tried to leave him and Hannah did leave! He knew it was only to fill the bathtub, but he was still upset.

He pointed at Lex.

“Okay, Ethan,” Lex said. She gently rubbed his back. Hannah returned after a few minutes to say the bath was ready. “Let’s go, Ethan.”

Ethan’s legs felt like jelly as he followed Lex to the bath. He put his thumb in his mouth and whimpered when he noticed the wet patch on the front of his pants.

“It’s okay, Ethan. You’re okay.” Lex didn’t bother asking if he needed help undressing. It was obvious that he did. He whined when his thumb had to come out of his mouth to remove the shirt, but it went immediately back in once the shirt was off. Lex helped him step into the tub and sit down.

The water was warm and had bubbles in it as well as a rubber duck. Ethan poked the duck and watched it float away. He whimpered and picked it up and hugged it. The duck probably didn’t want to be alone either!

Lex watched her boyfriend sadly as she washed him. She made sure to be extra gentle with him since he was so little tonight. She wished he would talk to her so she could help, but she wasn’t sure he  _ could _ talk right now. She wouldn’t push right now.

Ethan whined while getting the soap rinsed out of his hair. He didn’t like not being able to see Lex!

“I know, Ethan,” Lex cooed. “It’s okay. You’re all done. Let’s get you dried off and in some new pajamas.” She helped him out of the tub. Ethan’s legs still felt like jelly, so he had to sit on the bath mat while Lex dried him with a towel. Lex wasn’t sure how to get back to his room since he didn’t seem to want to walk.

She opened the bathroom door a crack and called for Hidgens. He raced over to them, clearly worried. “He doesn’t want to walk,” she told him.

Hidgens opened the door more and went into the spacious bathroom. “Hey, kid,” he said, crouching in front of his nephew. “You don’t wanna walk?” Ethan shook his head and put his thumb in his mouth again. He hugged the rubber duck with his other hand. He refused to leave it behind. He cried when Lex tried to make him leave it in the tub, so she let him take it out. “Well, I don’t know if I can carry you anymore. I’m getting old, Ethan. But I can try.”

Ethan shook his head again. He didn’t want to hurt his uncle! He’d force himself to walk. It wasn’t that far to his room….

Hidgens helped him stand and Lex wrapped a towel around Ethan’s waist. They both held his hands (well, Lex held his wrist since his hand held the duck still) and led him to his room. There were new sheets on the bed now.

“Hannah is downstairs making hot chocolate,” Hidgens said, setting his nephew on the bed. “Would you like some hot chocolate, Ethan?”

Ethan nodded and sucked on his thumb. Hidgens gave him his pacifier instead. Meanwhile, Lex grabbed a clean pair of pajamas: they had rocket ships on the pants and an alien on the shirt, so she was sure he’d like them! Ethan smiled behind the pacifier upon seeing the pajamas. He even lifted his arms to help put the shirt on.

“There you go!” Lex smiled and tickled his belly, causing him to giggle. “All better! Ready to go get some hot chocolate?”

Ethan nodded and grabbed Alex, taking him and the duck downstairs. He curled up on the couch and reached for Lex and his uncle. He still wanted to cuddle. They both sat on either side of him. Ethan’s back was to Lex’s chest and he had his legs on his uncle’s lap. Hannah walked in with three mugs and one sippy cup full of hot chocolate. Hidgens had bought a few sippy cups for Ethan if he wanted to try them, but he had yet to use them. This would be his first time. He cautiously took the cup from Hannah and stared at it.

“You gotta take your pacifier out to drink it, Eth,” Lex reminded.

Ethan hummed, but didn’t make a move.

“Can I hold your pacifier for you?” Hidgens asked.

Ethan frowned, but nodded and let his uncle take the pacifier out of his mouth. He put the sippy cup up to his mouth and drank some of the hot liquid. He hummed and relaxed slightly against Lex. He used one hand to hold his cup and one hand to pet Alex’s fur. The rubber duck sat on his chest. Ethan was asleep by the time he finished drinking.

Ethan woke up in the morning, freezing. December in Hatchetfield was always freezing, especially in the morning. Why didn’t he have his blanket on if it was this cold? Lex didn’t usually hog the blankets…. He opened his eyes to see he was on the couch. Why was he–oh. Right. He blushed as he sat up and saw his family still sleeping on the couch with him. He couldn’t believe he had an accident in front of them all! True, he was scared from his dream and very little, but that had happened before and he hadn’t had an accident then!

“Ethan?” Hannah asked, yawning. “You okay?”

“I’m okay, Banana. Thank you for the hot chocolate las’ night.”

“You’re welcome.” Hannah disentangled herself from Hidgens. “Wanna make pancakes?”

Ethan nodded. He wasn’t super little anymore, but was still halfway in his headspace, so he brought Alex and the rubber duck from the previous night’s bath and put them on the kitchen table to watch while they made breakfast.

Lex walked into the kitchen as Hannah and Ethan were putting the pancakes onto four plates and hugged Ethan tight. “You okay?” She asked him.

“Yeah,” he told her. He hadn’t had another nightmare or another accident and he could walk and talk. Obviously he was fine now.

Ethan was very quiet after breakfast that day. Lex knew he wasn’t okay. He’d been sucking his pacifier and clinging to all of them all day! He almost cried when Lex got up to make them lunch. Lex saw him pinch himself to keep from crying.

After they ate lunch, Hidgens pulled his nephew close to him again. Ethan was practically sitting on his lap. “What’s wrong, kid? I know you’re not okay. We can’t help if you don’t tell us what’s wrong.”

Ethan shrugged and hugged Alex. He’d gotten dressed after breakfast and put on a shirt with a pocket on the chest so he could keep the duck in it.

“Ethan, talk to us,” Lex begged. “What happened in your nightmare?”

Ethan took his pacifier out so he could talk. He was still only halfway in his headspace, but his pacifier was helping to soothe him, so he’d had it in almost all day. “It was Black Friday ‘gain. But...Mr. Houston didn’t come in time. Those people kept kickin’ me ‘n I...I  _ died _ . Felt like I was dead when I woke up. Everything hurt and I didn’t wanna move or walk or talk….” Tears started leaking from his eyes. Hidgens and both of the Fosters hugged him tightly.

“Ethan, that’s awful!” Lex exclaimed.

“You’re safe now,” Hidgens promised. “We won’t let anyone hurt you again. I promise.”

Ethan sniffed and hugged his uncle. Hannah held a hand on his shoulder from where she stood behind him. Ethan sucked his thumb, forgetting about his pacifier that was still in his hand.

“Didn’t mean to be that little las’ night,” he whispered when he was calm again. “Or to have a accident.”

“It’s okay, Ethan,” Hidgens told him. “You’ve been fighting against being little for two weeks when you really needed to be little. Your mind forced you to be that young so you could be taken care of. And nobody cares that you had an accident. It happens.”

Ethan hummed. That made sense. “‘M little now…. But not a baby anymore. Big boy.”

“That’s okay. Would you like to change your shirt?”

“We can make cookies after if you want,” Hannah offered.

“Yes, please!” Ethan smiled. He’d only helped make cookies once, and gotten banned from baking afterwards. He guessed he wasn’t banned anymore!

“He may as well not wear a shirt then,” Lex said. “He’ll just get it messy.”

Ethan stuck his tongue out at her.

“Then he can get changed again after,” Hidgens said. “Come on, Ethan. Let’s go change your shirt.” Ethan stood and held his uncle’s hand. He hadn’t intended to fully be little, especially after last night, but he knew he needed it. He was very grateful for his family being there to help and comfort him all the time. He loved them all so much.


End file.
